Falling Before I Can Catch A Breath
by The Centre Of The Tardis
Summary: Alexandra Booth was many things. Smart. Pretty. Sad. Suicidal?
1. Prologue

Alexandra Booth was many things. Smart, pretty, sad, lonely.

Suicidal.

If her parents knew, if they knew how she felt, they would be disappointed. They had taught her better than that, had taught her to be proud and confident, to live life to the fullest. She had done that. Since she was a little girl Alexandra knew she could be anything, do anything with her life.

But since the beginning of the year, she had slowly spiraled down.

And it was his fault.

Kevin Ryans. Her boyfriend.

Why was she even still in the relationship with him? He only hurt her. He would pin her down and take her when she had begged him not too. If she disobeyed him, she would end up having to be very careful as she went home to hide the marks he would leave on her body. He would criticize her, tell her she wasn't good enough, and she believed every word. She would cut herself, throw up anything she ate, do everything she could to relieve the emotional pain.

She couldn't leave him though. He would hurt Christine if she tried. If she told a soul, even her father who was a special agent in the FBI, he would hurt her big sister. And Christine was always so good to her.

She was two years younger than her sister, but that didn't matter. Having reached almost the same height, Christine was okay if she borrowed clothes every once in a while, so long as she checked to make sure Christine wasn't already planning on wearing it. Christine had always looked after Alexandra. They had the best relationship two sisters could have, despite how different they were. They loved each other, and Alexa couldn't let her get hurt.

The relationship had been sweet, easy at first. Kevin was a year older than her and had swept her off her feet after she had agreed to the first date. It was good, for a month. But November came, and Kevin started to hit her, and she was done. She tried to get out and he threatened Christine.

Now here they were. April, and she was still stuck with him.


	2. When A Heart Breaks It Don't Break Even

Chapter One- When A Heart Breaks It Don't Break Even

Another day here. Alexa sighed and carefully pushed herself out of bed. Going into her bathroom, she locked the door and assessed the previous night's damage.

There was a violent bruise across three or four of her ribs, and the harsh pain she felt when she walked told her they were broken. Her hips were sore and covered in finger shaped bruises, as was her neck and breasts.

She turned on the tap and washed her face, the cool water feeling good on her skin. Maybe she could tell her parents she was sick. She looked sick, she felt sick. She would just run the risk of one of them finding the bruises or the scars. And if they found out, Christine was at stake.

Sighing, she went back into her room and pulled on some underwear and jeans and picked out a short sleeved shirt. She grabbed the large bandage she had bought a few months previously and wrapped her ribs up the best she could. She pulled the shirt on before grabbing her assortment of bracelets to cover the marks on her wrists.

Being careful not to give off any sign of the pain in her ribs, she went downstairs to join her sister at the table as her parents moved around the kitchen making breakfast.

"Morning." She said, faking cheerfulness.

"Morning Lexa." Her dad said cheerfully, setting a plate of pancakes on the table in front of her and Christine, lightly kissing her head.

Her dad was the only one allowed to call her Lexa. To everyone else she was Alexa or Alexandra. It was something special that was his thing. He had a name like that for Christine too. Rissie. Christine always complained about it, but everyone knew she really loved it.

He sat down and their mum brought over drinks, apple juice for Alexa, and coffee for the other three. Alexa despised coffee and her parents were more than happy with that. Apple juice was healthier anyway.

Alexa was careful as she ate her food. The area around her stomach was already a little sore and she didn't want to upset it and worry her parents.

They ate in silence, the way they always did. Breakfast was silent, them just spending time together and dinner was the time they all talked and laughed. It was how they worked as a family.

As she finished, she stood up and moaned lightly, forgetting to hold her tongue.

"What's wrong Alexa?" Her mother asked.

"Nothing, just cramps." She lied easily. She had the worst cramps and her family knew it. Her mother had been talking about getting her on birth control, to lighten it, but Alexa wasn't sure she wanted that.

Temperance Booth just nodded. She understood. She got up herself and took her plate over and placed it by Alexa's before rummaging through the cupboard above the sink and pulling out some ibuprofen an passing two of the pills to her daughter along with a glass of water.

Alexa was immensely grateful as she took the two pills. It really would lessen the pain of the ribs, even if not much more could be done without going to a hospital.

Heading back upstairs, she gathered her bag together and put her faithful tablet in too.

Alexa loved the tablet her parents had gotten her for her birthday last September. It made it easier for her to do work and it meant she could draw and have the drawings saved.

Alexa adored drawing. It took her mind off things. She wasn't the best artist in the world, though her constant drawing made her improve, but she was decent. And she still enjoyed it.

She went back downstairs and pulled on some shoes and a jacket as she waited for Christine.

Christine always took her too school, and often home from school, if she came straight home. Alexa loved it. It meant she got some time with her older sister.

Christine came downstairs, her own bag over her shoulder. "Bye mum, bye dad!" She called as the two of them left the house.

Alexa bit her lip as she went to sit down, ignoring her ribs screaming in protest. Maybe she could think up a good excuse and have Kevin take her to the hospital. It would take a lot of bargaining, but she could try.

Hope. It was hope. Her broken heart clung to it.

She didn't really know what else to do with herself. She was lost, scared, confused. And everything she did hurt. She was skating on very thin ice, and she knew it wouldn't be long before she fell.

With that in her head, the car ride was silent but not in an awkward way. It seemed they both had a lot on ether minds.


End file.
